It was a cold October morning. The mist was rolling over Oak's Rest, bathing the Adventurer's Guild's courtyard with its coldness.
On that cold October morning, the adventurer hopefuls were lined up before the instructor. There were runes under their feet, not that any of them knew about them.
The old orc instructor had more scars on his face than skin. Tommy was slightly scared.
How would such a man treat him? Would he be harsh? Tommy was just a ten-year-old boy.
He didn't know many things. Sure, he knew his letters, but that didn't mean that he was all that good when it came to academics.
He still had problems with his multiplication table. He still took about a week to finish a 200-page book.
But his shoulders were straight. His chin was raised.
He was not ready to give up. Not even though he was the shortest of the bunch. Not even though he was the youngest.
His mother had passed away just last week. It was the guild or the orphanage.
And Tommy refused to be weak.
"Good day, hopefuls!" The orc was cheerful. Tommy relaxed a bit. That was good, at least. "Today is the day you all start! Today is the day you all begin with your journey! Now, tell me the first thing that comes to mind! Just one word! Let it be from the heart!"
The children, the oldest of whom were just fifteen, began to yell out words.
Some yelled out blood. Others yelled out bread.
Tommy had only one word in his heart. Only one thing which he yearned for.
"Mother!"
The other children started to blink. Most of them began to look at him.
"Mother?" A girl asked. Even though Tommy's rune was red, no one seemed to mind. "Why mother, kiddo?"
"I miss her," Tommy said.
The children closest to him clapped him on the back. The instructor made his way to them all. He stopped before Tommy and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder.
"Mommy is a good word to have in your heart. But you are, what, ten, right?"
Tommy looked at his feet. Yes, he was just ten years old. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to make something of himself!
It was either this or the orphanage! He couldn't accept such a fate!
"I won't accept a rejection!" He yelled; his brown eyes locked into the instructor's. "I won't accept the orphanage!"
"And why? Don't you think that you will have a better time there?" The orc's tone was gentle. He gave the boy's shoulder a little squeeze.
Tommy took a deep breath and then began:
"I won't accept the orphanage because I won't be allowed to be a hero! Mother wanted me to be a hero! To reclaim the family's dragon!"
The adventurer hopefuls quieted down.
This was a boy from a dragon-riding family? And his dragon was wild and maybe even still alive?
"I won't accept a rejection because I am my mother's son! She worked three jobs to put food on the table! I will do like her! I will train. I will work."
The old orc nodded.
"You know, red and green are just colors," he began, as he looked at all the other boys and girls who had red runes. "Or don't you agree?"
He knew that if he wished to let this boy into the guild but not let people who were capable of fighting now, then he was going to have a lot of explaining to do.
"How many of you have the fighting spirit?" The instructor yelled, as he took Tommy by the hand and then pulled him in front of the group. "How many of you believe in the words you yelled out?"
The roar the hopefuls gave was so deafening that the runes turned green.
The old guild master, the elf Albert, looked at the hopefuls from his tower. He knew that some of them already had summons.
But the dragon rider was going to be the real prize. The real catch of the day.
He smiled.
His lover came inside the room, his scarred face having a sheepish smile.
"Did you really have to do this, Leo?" Albert asked, as he waved his lover over. "Those children might not survive the training."
Leo just chuckled.
"They have will," the orc said, as he went behind the elf's chair and began to massage his shoulders. "Just like we had will and spirit. Didn't you hear their roar? They are going to fight."
Albert really hoped so. For the desert sands were expanding. The Djinni were waking up.
It was one misplaced wish today, one misplaced wish tomorrow.
But the elf knew that this was not going to be the end of it all. He knew for a fact that the djinni would end up trying to take over their forested area.
Their cool mountains, their freshwater rivers.
For they were creatures of the desert. Those were always the ones who knew true greed in their hearts.
"We have ten years, at beast," Albert said. There were more and more reports about the djinni advancing on them.
Soon, there would be no more borders to be crossed.
The barrier was weakening with each passing day.
"We need the Shadow," Leo said.
He knew who Tommy was. Knew who his dragon was.
"Yes. But would it be better if we have the shadow, or if the Djinni take us over?" Albert had not forgotten the last time the black, blue-eyed dragon had taken to the skies.
"Yes. Because his rider is the good sort this time," Leo hugged his lover. "You see storms in everything."
Albert chuckled bitterly. He remembered a time when he had not seen the storm clouds. He remembered when the barrier had to be erected.
"And you see clear skies when the air smells of thunder," Albert countered.
The orc kissed him on the brow. The elf sighed.
He knew that there was little to be done about it all, and yet, the Shadow was their only hope.